Emulsion of the essential oil derived from the western sagebrush



: cible' liquids.

United States Patent EMULsIoN OFTH'E nssin 'rf n 011. BERIVED" FROM THE WESTERN SA'GEBRUSH' Albert Shannan; Tans; N. Mex.

No Drawing. Application my 18,1 9.50,

Serial 'No. 1 74 ,577 s'ciaims. ((21:1"67- 93? This invention relates toan emuis sndftne essential oil derived from the western sagebrush and more par ti-cula'rly, to such an emulsion adapted'for'application to human mucosa and-skin;

, 'I have discovered that the essential on derived by steam distillation of the leaves and twigs ofthe' stunted shrubs indigenous to the and plainsand mountains of the Western United States, collectively known as Western sagebrush is an active medicinal in: the treatment of the hum-an mucosa or mucous membrane and? the skin". Extensive clinical testing has demonstrated that'it is efficacious in the treatment of the inflammatory donut tion of the human dental gums or gingivae, generally known as gingivitis and thereby aids in the prevention of pyorrhoea alveolaris (Riggs disease), which are-re" fiecte'd by a tendency of the gingivae to become soft'an'd spongy and to bleed readily. This work-.has shownxthat three or four daily applications of this essential oil to' the gingivae will clear up even advanced cases of gingi vitis in three or four days. Furthermore, this testing shown that its periodic application thereafter will prevent the reappearance o'fgingivitisandlmaintain the gingivae in their normal healthy condition.

Although themajor 'partof my clincialtesting'of this oil has been directed to thetreatment of inflamed con-j ditions of the gingivae; pteliminary testing has indicated that this essential oil is generally valliabjle in the treatment of the mucous membranes and 'ofLthe skin-inother human body applications. h t

Although this-essen'tial oil is relatively 'mild'in both taste and odor, some people have found its use rather unpleasant, particularly when used in the mourn-in the tr'eatment of the gingiv'ae. Furthermore", it' is"immi'sci'b'l withwater and does not readily come jintdintimate can: tact with moist body tissues; Thus, it does not readily penetrate into the recesses between the" teetli' and the gingivae when moist with's'a'liva'.

It is an object of this invention tdpro'vide a composition for the treatment of abnormal conditions of the skin and the mucous membrane, including gingivitis, which is both more pleasant to the'pa'tient a'ndrnor'e eflicient than the essential oil in pure form. 7

It is a further and more specific object of this'inven tion to provide a composition for the treatment and p'r'evention of inflamed conditions of the gingivac.

Other and further objects of-this invention will be apparent from the detailed description which appears hereinafter.

The composition in accordance with this invention com= prises essentially an emulsion of the essential oil derived by steam distillation of the leaves and twigs of .the west ern sagebrush, in which the essential oil. is. emulsified with a non-toxic liquid Whichis immiscible with the essential oil. The emulsion may beeither of theoil-im' water type or the water-in-oil typbdependingupon. its intended use. In either type the oil phase may consist entirely of the essential oil or maybe a' sol'ution' of the essential oil in one or more of the o'ther'Water-imm'i's- In the case 'of the oil-in-Water type of emulsion, the emulsion mayconta'in' a second disperse phase which contains none of this essential oil and it may contain suspended solids;

Preferably, but'not essentially; the emulsionw' c 'ontain an emulsifying agent and a masking flavor" or a, perfume, depending on the exact intended method of application, to overcome the objection of some eople to itstaste and odo'r' of the essentialoi'l;

The western sagebrush which forms the source of the essential oil which is an essential ingredient of my com position is a closely related group of shrubs indigenous to the western United States which includes anumber of species of the Artemisia genus of the Compositae family (Linnaeus). Some of these species are Artem'isia tri-- dentata, Artemisia ludoviciarza, Artemisia frigida, and Artemisia cana. Of these species I have worked extensively with the Artemisia tridentata which includes the following sub-species:

Artemisia tride'nrata typica Artemisia tridentata parishi Artemisia zridentata nova Artem isia tridntata trifidd' Arlemisia tridenta'ta tripartifa Artemisia trideiztata arbus'etl'la Artemisia tridentata roth'roc ki Artemisia tridentata spiciformis Artemisia tridentala bolanderi.

thoroughly. The essential oil is obtained by ordinary steam distillation and is immiscible with water.

The essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the twigs and leaves of the various species of western sagebrush is a complex mixture of terpenes, unidentified sesqu'iterpenes, unidentified resins and other unidentified compounds, which varies somewhat with the particular sub-species selected and the particular season of the year in which the plants are harvested. I have been unable to fully establish which of the various constituents of this complex mixture is responsible for its medicinal value in the treatment of the mucosa and the skin, but am inclined to the belief that its value arises from the cooperative action of several different compounds, including some which are unidentified. In any event, the essential oil is germicidal and astringent in its action and appears to have a narcotic effect upon the tissues.

Artem'isia zridentata typica, often known as black sage, is widely distributed in the western United States and is a convenient source for the essential oil used in my composition. A typical essential oil secured from the twigs and leaves of Artemisia tridentata Zypica by steam distillation which has been redistilled with steam, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and then fractionated under an atmospheric pressure of 650 mm. gave the following. fractions:

Boilln' Fraction N0. Range fi i g Degrees C. at

A residual fraction of the oil which is not volatile at 200 C. gave the following fractions when distilled under reduced pressure:

. Boilin l Fraction No. an g r gigg n Degrees C. a

A residual portion of the oil is non-volatile at C.

' even under the low pressure of 13 mm.

The proportions and chemical reactions of these fractions of the essential oil secured from Artemisia tridentata typica shows that it consisted of approximately 5% artemisal, 20% alpha pinene, 7% cineol, 40% l-cam- (1)1101, 12% unidentified sesquiterpenes, and 16% resins.

The compound designated artemisal is an unidentified aldehyde which is responsible for the characteristic odor of the plant. It is so highly volatile that it passes through an ordinary water condenser and is a powerful lachrymator. Its presence in my compositions in any material quantity is undesirable because of its lachrymatory action and its condensation in the steam distillation of the oil which I utilize is largely avoided.

The Artemisia genus of the Compositae family includes a large number of species of plants, in addition to those which fall into the western sagebrush group. Many of these species will yield an essential oil by steam distillation which is very similar to that obtained from the western sagebrush and for my purposes interchangeable therewith. However, the essential oil derived from some of the species contains santonin which is a well known anthelmintic used as a treatment for round worms and other intestinal parasites, but which is highly toxic in large dosages. I prefer not to use an essential oil containing santonin, since its presence would impose severe limitations on the use of my composition. the Artemisia genus which yield an oil containing santonin and which are to be avoided are:

cina

neo-mexicana wrightii maritima-variety stechnamuiana ramosa sieberi pontica abrotanum Additional species of the Artemisia genus, other than the western sagebrush group yield an essential oil containing toxic compounds and are to be avoided for that reason.

Hereinafter in this specification the term Sagebrush oil will be used for the sake of brevity to designate the non-toxic, water-immiscible, essential oil obtained by steam distillation of the twigs and leaves of those species of the Artemisia genus of the Compositae family which fall into the group generally recognized as western sagebrush.

One of the phases of the emulsified composition in accordance with this invention may comprise any nontoxic liquid which is immiscible with sagebrush oil. It may be, for example, water, or an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol, glycerine, sorbitol or mixtures of these liquids and may contain other materials dissolved, suspended or emulsified therein.

The other phase comprises essentially sagebrush oil and may be entirely sagebrush oil or it may be a mixture of sagebrush oil and other liquids miscible therewith or solids soluble therein. Thus, it may be admixed with another essential oil which acts as a flavor or a perfume.

The sagebrush oil may be emulsified, if desired, without the assistance of an emulsifying agent. I have found that it can be emulsified as the disperse phase in water to form a relatively permanent emulsion by passing it in admixture with water through an emulsifier of the homogenizer type. I have produced an emulsion which appears to be permanently stable using such an emulsifier which exerts a pressure of six hundred pounds per square inch.

For the majority of applications I prefer to utilize an emulisfying agent in my composition, since it not only assists in the emulsification of the sagebrush oil, but also causes the emulsion to Wet the body tissues more thoroughly and rapidly. In certain embodiments of my composition the emulsifying agent or agents contained therein serve other functions in addition to assisting in the emulsification of the sagebrush oil, such as, for example, emulsifying as a second disperse phase another water-immiscible liquid, such as mineral oil, which is not self-emulsifying, or acting as a foaming agent in the composition.

The emulsifying agent which I may use in my composition may be any non-toxic compound of the ionic type which has interfacial activity in the production of an emulsion or which is an emulsion stabilizer of the colloidal type. Alternatively, it may be a mixture of one or more of each of these types. Compounds of the Mass s :ionic type which have interfacial activity and are suit- "fable formy purpose are, for example, the sodium or .potassium salts of a fatty acid or a fatty acid mixture,

Species of I and the sodium or potassium salts of the sulphate of a fatty alcohol. Stabilizing agents of the colloidal type which are suitable include sodium carboxymethyl-cel- I primarily for use by or under the direction of a physician or a dentist. A flavoring agent, such as, for example, oil of cloves, oil of Wintergreen, or oil of peppermint, may, if desired, be added to the essential oil to mask its taste.

Such a concentrated medicinal emulsion may contain as much as 65 to 75%, by weight, of sagebrush oil emulsified as the disperse phase in, for example, an aqueous solution of one or more emulsifying agents, and its sagebrush .oil content will ordinarily fall within the range of about 10% to about 75%, by Weight, and preferably within the range of about 15% to about 60%, by weight.

Such a concentrated medicinal emulsion, in which the sagebrush oil utilized is one obtained by the steam distillation of the twigs and leaves of tridentata typica, may be prepared from the following ingredients:

Percent by weight Tridentata typica sagebrush oil 23.2 Oleic acid 4.6 Triethanolamine 2.2 Carboxymethylcellulose (low viscosity type) 0.25 Oil of clove 05 Water 69:25

itself has been found efficacious and is both more efficient and more pleasant to use than the raw oil. For example, it may be used for the treatment of gingivitis, by massaging it into the gingivae and around the base of the teeth three orfour times daily. Such treatments for three or four successive days is ordinarily adequate to bring the gingivae back to a normal healthy condition, even in aggravated cases of gingivitis.

The composition in accordance with this invention may be formulated to contain a relatively low percentage of the emulsified sagebrush oil and may be intended specifically for preventing and treating gingivitis, as well as having other functions. Thus, such composition may contain the various ingredients characteristic of a toothpaste, in addition to the emulsified sagebrush essential oil.

0 For example, it may contain:

Sagebrush oil, about 1.0% to about 10%, by wt. Polishing agent, about 35.0% to about 45%, by wt. Excipient and binder, about 45.0% to about 65%, by wt. Foaming agent, about 0.5% to about 10%, by wt. Sweetener (saccharin), about 0.2%, by wt.

Flavor, about 1.0% to about 3%, by wt.

Lubricant, about 1.5%, by wt.

Diluent, quantity sufiicient to make by weight.

The particular ingredients selected from the various classes of materials in this formulation may be any of the alternatives ordinarily used in such formulations. The excipient and binder, may be, for example, an aque ous dispersion of tragacanth, acacia, karaya, pectin, methyl cellulose, sodium carboxymethylceilulose, or a dispersion of starch in glycerine and water, and will act as a stabilizer for the emulsion containing water insoluble sagebrush oil. The foaming agent, for example, a soap, as coconut oil soap, palm oil soap, castor oil soap, sodium oleate, and sodium stearate, or an alkali metal alkyl and 'sodiumolelyl: sulfate, willact as an emulsifier for the s'agebrush oil; aswe'llas fulfil its in'teiidedflinction as foaming agent. The usual flavoring" agents "and sweeteners'used in such formulations 'will maskthe taste of the sagebrush oil.- The diluent and other liquid'ingredients may be water, or mixtures ofwater andglycerine, ethylene glycolor s'orbitol, or largely glycerine, ethylene glycol, sorbitol and will functiod'as the continuous phase of the emulsion of the sagebrush oil; The polishing agent or agents will form a second disperse phase in the emulsion of sagebrush oil; and maybe, for example, precipitated calcium carbonate, prepared chalk, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, dicalcium phosphate, or tricalcium phosphate. The lubricant may be, for example, a'medium or high viscosity mineral oil, a petrolatum or a mixture of petrola-turn with mineral oil, and like the sag'ebru'sh'oil is-fdisper'sed' in the toothpaste in emulsified form either as a scond dispe'rse phase or as a'solution in the sagebrush oil. p

The composition in accordance with this invention in the form of a toothpaste may, for example, contain the following ingredients:

cen by. wei ht- Tridentam typicasageb'rush oil 4.00 Tric'alcium phosphate 11,00, Precipitated chalk 35,00; Gum tragacanth 0.25 Carboxymethylcellulose, med. visc 0.25 Glycerine" 12.00 Neutral soap powder 1.80 Sorbitol solution (75%) 8.00 Saccharin, soluble 0.07 Oil' of clov 0=75 Mineral oil, med. vise 0.70 Water 26.18

A toothpaste can be prepared from these ingredients by mixing the tragacanth and carboxymetl ylc'ellulose-into the glycerine. This mixture is then stirred; into, Water at about 40 C. and mixed until uniform in consistency. Alternate portions of the chalk, tricalcium phosphate and soap are then added while continuing the mixing until all of these ingredients are uniformly incorporated into the batch. The sagebrush oil, the oil of clove, and the mineral oil are mixed to form a solution and added to the batch while continuing the mixing. The final paste is passed through an ointment mill to produce a smooth, uniform consistency in which the solution containing the sagebrush oil is thoroughly emulsified.

The daily use of a toothpaste containing emulsified sagebrush oil, such as one of those described hereinbefore, will act as a positive preventative to gingivitis,

and will gradually clear up existing conditions of 1 gingivitis, although its curative action is not as rapid as that of a more concentrated emulsion of sagebrush oil adapted solely for that purpose.

Another composition in accordance with this invention containing a relatively low percentage of sagebrush oil emulsified as the disperse phase and intended to prevent and to treat gingivitis, as well as perform other functions, is a dilute aqueous emulsion of the sagebrush oil containing various ingredients utilized in the preparation of aqueous mouth-washes. The sagebrush oil may be added to the usual ingredients of any one of the numerous classes of mouth-wash formulations, including those which contain no emulsifying agent. In preparing a mouth-wash using a formulation which contains no emulsifying agent it is desirable to pass the mixture through a homogenizer to fully disperse the sagebrush oil and take full advantage of its self-emulsifying property. In the preparation of one of the so-called soapy types of mouth-washes, which contain 'soap or other emulsifying agents, no homogenization is required.

A mouth-wash containing sagebrush oil may be of the type which is intended to be used as prepared or one which is intended for dilution with water immediately prior to use. A mouth-wash intended for dilution immediately prior to use may be prepared as a solution in which the sagebrush oil is entirely dissolved in a solvent such as ethyl alcohol. No emulsifying agent is necessary in such a formulation since the emulsion formed by the dilution of the solution concentrate is sufliciently stable forthe purpose; without either an, emulsifier or honing enization'.

The percentageof sagebrush oil included'in a mouthdilution before use. The amount of sagebrush oil" in,-

cluded ina mouth-wash intendedfor use. as prepared will ordinarily fallwithin the range of about 0;1% to.

about 5.0% by weight. The amount used in a concene' trate will be increased depending upon the extent to which the concentrateis to be diluted'before use. Thus, in the case of a concentrate which is, intended. tobe. diluted by the addition ofan equal volume of water,

twice as much sagebrush oil is used as in one which: is;

not intended for dilution.

A mouth-wash of the soapy type in whichv sagebrush; oil is suspended as an emulsion. in the mouth-wash; as;

prepared may contain the following ingredients:

Percent byweight In preparing this mouth-wash, the sagebrush oil, the Wintergreen oil, the cinnamon oil, a nd the ethyl alcohol, may be mixed to formpa solution and then added with. stirring to a solution of the soap and glycerine in they water.

A mouth-wash concentrate which is intended" for dilution by the addition of about three toabout eight times its volume of'water may be, prepared from thefo'l-i lowmg ingredients:

c Percent'byweighti Tridentata typica-sagebrushoil 3..O Oil of clove 1.0 Benzoic a id 2.0" Boric a id 3.0 Ethyl alcohol 70.0 Water 21.0

This concentrate is prepared by mixing all the ingredients except the water and stirring until a clear solution has been obtained. The water is then added with stirring to retain complete solution and avoid separation of the oils in the form of an emulsion. When this concentrate is diluted for use by the addition of three to eight volumes of water the oils then separate as the disperse phase of an emulsion. Thus, the sagebrush oil is in emulsified form when the composition is actually used in the mouth. The emulsified droplets which separate are relatively small due to the tendency of the sagebrush oil to be self-emulsifying and the emulsion is relatively stable despite the fact that the composition contains no emulsifying or stabilizing agent. Its stability is entirely adequate for the intended purpose, since the mouth-wash is used shortly after dilution and no extended shelf-life is required after the composition is diluted.

Sagebrush oil may be included in many of the emulsified creams and lotions intended for application to the human skin to take advantage of its beneficial action in improving the general tone of the skin and eliminating wrinkles. As in the case of the other emulsified preparations in accordance with this invention, the percentage of sagebrush oil included in a cream or lotion will depend upon the therapeutic activity desired and will ordinarily fall within the range of about 0.5% to about 10.0% by weight of the finished product.

Cold creams are water-in-oil emulsions. In the preparation of such a cream containing sagebrush oil it is desirable to dissolve the sagebrush oil in the other oily ingredients of the composition prior to emulsification. Onthe other hand, the vanishing creams and the emulsified skin lotions are oil-in-water type emulsions. In these emulsions the sagebrush oil may be dispersed as a separate and distinct phase from the disperse phase containing the other oily ingredients or, alternatively, it may be admixed with the other oily ingredients prior to Beeswax 16 Mineral oil 65/75 45 Water 33 Borax 1 10 Perfume q. s.

These ingredients are made into a cold cream by melting the sagebrush oil, the beeswax, and the mineral oil together and heating to about 70 C. The borax is dissolved in the water and the solution heated to about 72 C. This solution is then poured into the molten mixture of wax and oils with rapid stirring. The resulting water-in-oil emulsion is cooled to about 50 C. and the perfume added and then further cooled to about 45 C. before pouring into suitable jars.

A vanishing cream, which is also suitable for use as 3 powder base, can be made from the following ingreients:

Percent by weight T ridentata typica sagebrush oil Stearic acid 20 Glycerine 7 Butyl stearate 2 Potassium hydroxide 1 Sodium hydroxide 0.133 Water 66.867 Perfume q. s.

The foregoing examples illustrate emulsions of both the water-in-oil type and of the oil-in-water type containing sagebrush oil as an essential ingredient. From these examples, the proper formulation of many other emulsions, including such cosmetic emulsions as facial creams, the so-called snows and foams, hand creams and hand lotions, containing sagebrush oil as an essential ingredient will be readily apparent to those skilled in the particular fields involved.

0 What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent 1. A topical medicinal composition consisting essentially of a Water insoluble essential oil substantially free from artemisal, steam distilled from a sage brush plant of the nontoxic species of the genus Artemisia emulsified with water and an ionic emulsifying agent.

2. A mouthwash for treatment of oral mucosa consisting essentially of a water insoluble essential oil substantially free from artemisal, steam distilled from a sage brush plant of the nontoxic species of the genus Artemisia emulsified in water with an ionic emulsifying agent.

3. A toothpaste for treatment of oral mucosa consisting essentially of a water insoluble essential oil substantially free from artemisal steam distilled from the leaves of the sagebrush plant of the nontoxic species of the genus Artemisia and an ionic emulsifying agent dis- Lributed on a water insoluble finely divided solid carrier ase.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 460,611 White Oct. 6, 1891 896,647 MacKay Aug. 18, 1908 1,927,610 McAlister Sept. 19, 1933 2,052,694 Breivogel Sept. 1, 1936 OTHER REFERENCES Maisch, American Jour. Pharm., February 1880, vol. 52, pp. 69-70.

Adams, J. Am. Chem. Soc., vol. 56, February 1934, pp. 457-459. 

1. A TOPICAL MEDICINAL COMPOSITION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF A WATER INSOLUBLE ESSENTIAL OIL SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM ARTEMISAL, STEAM DISTILLED FROM A SAGE BRUSH PLANT OF THE NONTOXIC SPECIES OF THE GENUS ARTEMISIA EMULSIFIED WITH WATER AND AN IONIC EMULSIFYING AGENT. 